Ecological impact of the opportunist northern pigtailed macaques (Macaca leonina) in degraded environments: Ranging pattern, seed dispersal and predatory behavior in Central Thailand

Deforestation and fragmentation have become the most important threats for biodiversity due to both plant and animal dispersal movement limitation impacting seed dispersal and prey-predator interactions. Through the study of the adaptive and opportunistic northern pigtailed macaque (Macaca leonina), this PhD aims to assess how fragmentation affects the macaques’ habitat use, seed dispersal and predatory behavior in a highly fragmented and degraded environment (Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, Central Thailand). Investigating the ranging pattern and feeding behavior of this macaque, acknowledged as an effective seed disperser, in a disturbed environment, will provide a concrete example of potential forest regeneration by a natural agent. Moreover, as this is a very efficient passerine nest predator, the study of its ranging behavior will allow assessing the extent of a generalist predator efficiency in a fragmented environment.